An accessible bathroom can improve your home and transform your life. Just ask Robert and Bridget.
This is the story of how an accessible bathroom changed Robert and Bridget’s lives
Robert lives in Whitchurch with his wife Bridget, 81, who has been living with Alzheimer’s for over 10 years. Robert is Bridget’s carer, and as her condition has advanced has needed to help more and more with washing.
Recently Bridget found being in the bathroom was becoming a stressful experience. This was because the existing shower had become too difficult for her to step into safely. It was also becoming awkward for Robert to lean in and help her. The toilet had also become a challenge for Bridget to get on and off easily.
Robert browsed the website and talked things through with his daughter Julie. He then phoned us for a chat. They all went along together to look at the showroom in Bristol to have a look at what was available, try things out and get some professional advice.
Visiting the We Care showroom
“I really, really liked Sam, who greeted us and showed us around the We Care showroom” says Robert. “He was so warm and friendly. Sam spent a lot of time talking to me and showing us the different showers.” Bridget tried sitting on a toilet frame with Sam’s help. He adjusted the height so it was just right. After looking through the showroom, the family realised that updating the whole bathroom would make life a lot easier for everyone.
The next step was to get a We Care Home Improvements qualified occupational therapist to visit the family for a home assessment and to help Robert and Bridget understand what tasks they find difficult and find out other ways or adaptations that might help. A technical officer also came for a visit to assess what Robert and Bridget might need in their new bathroom.
Robert and Bridget got their own dedicated We Care project manager called David. David got to know the family and put together a personalised plan for them to show them how the building work would progress. He was there to reassure them so that they knew what was happening and when. David managed the entire process from start to finish. He oversaw the work so that Robert had just the amount of control that he wanted. “I felt that David was on my side and I had confidence in him,” says Robert. “He gave me peace of mind and satisfaction that I’d get a proper job done.”
Getting help with decisions
David came along with Robert to talk to the plumber and help support Robert in some of his choices of fixtures and fittings: “He helped me make decisions, and I felt like he was my advocate,” he says. It was reassuring too to have David on hand to make a final inspection of the work, too. “And because I was paying We Care for the work and they were signing it off,” said Robert, “I knew that the job was going to be done properly.”
After the bathroom installation, which the family was really pleased with, Robert also went back to We Care to get some help with arranging a stairlift. When his wife needs to start using a wheelchair, which may be soon, he’s going to get back in touch for some more support because he knows they’ll be able to help. “I liked going to We Care because I was very pleased with the quality of work. And because I trust them,” says Robert.
How We Care can help
We Care have been in the home maintenance business for over 30 years and our accessible bathroom service is Trading Standards Approved. We are an approved supplier to Bristol, Bath & NE Somerset and Gloucestershire councils, so you can be sure that our work is of a very high standard
Next steps
- Simply call us on 0300 323 0700 for a no-obligation chat with our team to find out how we can help you. We are open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm.
- Or request a call back and we can get in touch with you.
- Alternatively, you can pop into our Bristol showroom to see some examples of our beautiful bathrooms and talk to our friendly and knowledgeable team.
*Names have been changed. Image displayed uses actors
